To hit the ground running in your networking efforts, prepare a 60-second “elevator speech.”  This is a brief infomercial stating who you are and where you’re headed professionally.  If you meet a key person on an elevator, you’ll be well-prepared to introduce yourself as the star that you are.

 

In composing your elevator speech, consider the things that are memorable about you.  What makes you unique? 

 

Examples:

“I’m actively pursuing my Ed.D. to complement my 10 years of teaching experience and to move into administration.  I am composing my dissertation on whether escalated computer usage affects elementary students’ participation in extra-curricular activities.  In other words, is MySpace taking kids off the soccer field?” 

 

“I’m a lawyer-turned-career counselor.  I started by providing career counseling to law students, got my masters in counseling, and now my experience spans a wide variety of clients, from Xerox machine operators to doctoral students.  Currently I’m building a virtual Career Services Center.” 

 

The goal of your elevator speech is to lay the groundwork for an interactive, mutually beneficial conversation with your new contact.  Build on those interests and goals you share, professional and otherwise.  As you both detail your backgrounds, you may decide to schedule a follow-up conversation, so be sure to exchange business cards.  Congratulations – you’ve just added to your professional network!

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